Katsu Tei (かつ亭) on Hurstmere Road brings authentic Japanese katsu to Takapuna. Operated by FPCNZ, a Japanese restaurant group serving communities across New Zealand, the restaurant follows a simple philosophy — 日本の味を、日本の基準で, the taste of Japan to Japanese standards — pairing premium New Zealand ingredients with authentic Japanese techniques, from freshly prepared panko breadcrumbs to carefully balanced frying.
The menu is built on three pillars: tonkatsu, curry and udon. The katsu uses premium New Zealand meat crumbed in panko prepared fresh in-house and fried in carefully selected oil. The house curry is made from scratch, beginning with carefully blended spices and slowly developed into a rich Japanese curry made to complement the katsu. The udon bowls follow an original recipe, with a dashi built from bonito, soda bonito, shiitake mushrooms, kombu and naturally brewed soy sauce.
Katsu Tei Takapuna is one of five Katsu Tei branches across Auckland, alongside sister brands Kazu Yakitori & Sake Bar and Kazu Sushi Go Round. Service runs Monday to Thursday from 11:30am to 2pm and 5pm to 8pm, Friday to 9pm for dinner, Saturday from 11:30am to 9pm and Sunday from 11:30am to 8pm, with the restaurant closed on public holidays. Delivery is available through Uber Eats.
On Hurstmere Road, in the middle of Takapuna's dining strip, Katsu Tei (かつ亭) does one thing with unusual focus: Japanese katsu, done the way it's done in Japan. The restaurant is the North Shore branch of Katsu Tei, a tonkatsu and udon brand run by FPCNZ, a Japanese restaurant group operating across New Zealand. Its guiding phrase — 日本の味を、日本の基準で, "the taste of Japan, to Japanese standards" — sums up the promise: authentic flavour, held to Japanese standards.
That promise shows up in the sourcing. Katsu Tei pairs premium New Zealand ingredients with authentic Japanese technique, from panko breadcrumbs prepared fresh in-house to carefully balanced frying. Four commitments sit behind the counter: Japanese brand, Japanese standards, trusted quality, and omotenashi — the Japanese idea of wholehearted hospitality. Every dish is built on that combination: local produce, Japanese craft, and a warm welcome.
The menu is organised around three pillars: tonkatsu, curry and udon.
The first pillar is the katsu itself. Premium New Zealand meat is crumbed in panko prepared fresh and fried in carefully selected oil. It's a dish where the details are the whole story — the texture of the crumb, the oil it's fried in, the balance of the frying — and Katsu Tei treats each one as a point of craft.
The second pillar is curry, and it's made the long way. The house Japanese curry starts not from a shortcut but from carefully blended spices, developed slowly into a rich, deep flavour designed to sit alongside the katsu. Order the two together and you get the restaurant's natural signature pairing: crisp cutlet, spice-built curry.
The third pillar is udon. Every bowl follows the restaurant's original Japanese recipe, with a dashi built from carefully selected bonito, soda bonito, shiitake mushrooms and kombu, finished with naturally brewed soy sauce. It's a quietly comforting counterpoint to the fried main event, and a reason in its own right to visit.
Katsu Tei is part of FPCNZ, whose mission is to bring authentic Japanese food culture to New Zealand — the group also runs Kazu Yakitori & Sake Bar and Kazu Sushi Go Round in Auckland. Behind FPCNZ stands the Silverbacks Principal Group (SBP Group), a Japanese hospitality group with businesses spanning hotels, ryokan, resorts and restaurants in Japan. That backing shows in practice: the Takapuna kitchen draws on group-wide experience in Japanese hospitality, and the menu is refreshed regularly, with new releases announced through the group's news page — including a menu update for August 2026.
The Takapuna branch sits at 62/78 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, Auckland 0622. Hours follow the classic Japanese lunch-and-dinner rhythm: Monday to Thursday, service runs from 11:30am to 2pm, then again from 5pm to 8pm; on Friday, dinner stretches to 9pm. Saturday is open straight through from 11:30am to 9pm, Sunday from 11:30am to 8pm, and the restaurant closes on public holidays. If you'd rather eat at home, the Takapuna store is available on Uber Eats.
Takapuna is one of five Katsu Tei branches around Auckland — siblings operate at Alexandra Park in Epsom, Stoneridge on Lunn in Mount Wellington, Ormiston Town Centre in Flat Bush and Botany Town Centre — so if you fall for the dashi on the North Shore, you're never far from a refill.
Come hungry and work through the pillars: a cutlet for the fresh panko, curry made from blended spices, and a bowl of udon to finish. It's a simple formula, executed with care — exactly the way the group intends it.